Wildside Highland Lodges - Fun Days Out

Urquhart Castle is a ruined fortress on Strone Point, a headland overlooking Loch Ness, about two kilometres east of Drumnadrochit. It was once one of Scotland's largest castles, and its story takes in the Wars of Independence, raids by the Lords of the Isles and the Jacobite Risings, when departing government troops blew it up. The present ruins date from the 13th to the 16th centuries.

Wander through the remains to see the gatehouse, picture the banquets once held in the Great Hall, peer into the gloomy prison cell and take a look at the full-sized trebuchet. Climbing the five-storey Grant Tower rewards you with panoramic views of the loch and the Great Glen. It is a good stop if you like castles, ruins and loch scenery.

Tip: Book your visit online in advance to guarantee entry.

Landmark Forest Adventure Park is a nature-based theme and adventure park in Carrbridge, set within an area of ancient pine woodland. It opened in 1970 and was one of the first purpose-built visitor centres in Europe.

There are around 22 attractions, a mix of outdoor and indoor. You can zoom down the Wild Water Coasters, tackle treetop nets and climbing challenges, and meet life-sized dinosaurs in Dinosaur Kingdom. The Butterfly House, the Bamboozeleum and the Red Squirrel Trail add quieter stops, and there are nature trails through the forest. The Tropical Hot-House and Dinosaur Kingdom give you somewhere under cover if the weather turns. It works well for families with children who like to be active outdoors.

Tip: Book online in advance, as tickets are date specific and cheaper than buying on the day.

Cawdor Castle stands near Nairn in the Scottish Highlands. It is built around a 15th-century tower house, with later additions enclosing a courtyard reached by a drawbridge. The castle began as a Calder property and passed to the Campbells in the 16th century. In the lowest level of the tower you can see the remains of the small holly tree it was built around. It is linked to Shakespeare's Macbeth, though the story is largely fiction and the castle was built long after Macbeth's time.

Outside, there are three gardens: the Walled Garden, the Flower Garden and the Wild Garden. Cawdor Big Wood has nature trails through ancient oakwood. You can tour the castle with an audio guide, available in 10 languages. There is also a 9-hole golf course and the Courtyard Café for a break.

Tip: The castle and gardens only open to visitors for part of the year, so check the Cawdor Castle website for reopening dates before you set off.

Tomatin is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky distillery in the village of Tomatin, about 25 minutes south of Inverness. The distillery was established in 1897, closed in 1906 and reopened in 1909. By 1974 it had 23 stills and was the largest malt distillery in the world. That number was later reduced to 12, as the focus moved to single malts.

The distillery offers tours, and you can book them through its website. Its whiskies are known for being unpeated, light, soft and fruity, and it also makes Cù Bòcan, a lightly peated single malt. It suits whisky lovers and anyone curious about how a Highland distillery has changed over more than a century. The Takara Shuzo company bought the distillery in the 1980s, and the Japanese owners remain part of its story.

Tip: Tours can be booked through the Tomatin website.

Fort George is a large 18th-century fortress at Ardersier, built after the Jacobite rising of 1745 to control the Highlands. Its star-shaped design survives virtually unaltered, with grassed-over walls, bastions, a drawbridge and a wide ditch. The fortress has never been attacked, and it has been described as "a harmony of pure reason and serene menace".

Much of the site is open to visitors. Historic Environment Scotland displays reconstructions of life in the fort's early days, and the Grand Magazine holds the Seafield Collection of Arms and is a stage for actors recreating the lives and stories of 18th-century soldiers. The Highlanders' Museum, in the former Lieutenant Governors' House, shows uniforms, weapons, medals, photographs and paintings. It suits history lovers, families and anyone who enjoys a good walk around impressive defences.

Tip: Head for the Grand Magazine to see the Seafield Collection of Arms and, if you're lucky, the actors bringing 18th-century soldiers' stories to life.

Ben Nevis Distillery is a whisky distillery in Fort William, at the foot of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles. It was founded by "Long John" McDonald, a 6 ft 4 in man whose name was later given to a well-known blended Scotch. Queen Victoria visited with her young son, and Long John presented her with a cask of his whisky.

The water comes from the Allt a'Mhuilinn, which starts in two pools high on the mountain, Coire Leis and Coire na Ciste. Making the whisky involves mashing malted barley, fermenting the wort for around 48 hours, then distilling in a wash still and a spirit still. The spirit then matures in oak casks in traditional warehouses at the foot of the mountain.

Tip: Read about the water's journey from Coire Leis down to the distillery on its website before you go, so you know the story behind the whisky.

Neptune's Staircase is a flight of eight locks at Banavie, near Fort William, on the Caledonian Canal. Thomas Telford designed it, and it was built between 1803 and 1822. Together the locks lift boats 64 feet, and it is a staircase lock, so each chamber opens straight into the next.

Watching boats work their way up or down the flight is the main draw. The original hand-operated system has been replaced by hydraulic operation, but the base plinths of the old capstans can still be seen beside the locks. Cast iron swing bridges carry the road and the railway across the canal at the foot of the flight.

It suits canal and engineering fans, history lovers and families looking for a gentle outdoor stop. The story behind the locks, from Telford's plans to the repairs over the years, gives plenty to read and talk about.

Tip: Look for the base plinths of the old capstans beside the locks.